[swift-evolution] What about a VBA style with Statement?

[Brent Royal-Gordon]

> As a plus, it makes code easier to write, sometimes; or at least it seems so. On the other hand, I think it makes code harder to comprehend. A `with` statement introduces a new scope in which it is not obvious what exactly happens. For example:
> 
> with(someObject) {
>    foo()
> }
> 
> what does it do? The mere fact that I wrote `with(someObject)` suggests that `someObject.foo()` is what should happen. But it could also mean `self.foo()` or just the global function `foo()`.

I support having two separate, but interlocking, features:

* A `with(_:user:)` function in the standard library which can access, and perhaps modify, a value.
* The ability to name a closure parameter `self`, which would make bare method calls be directed to that parameter.

So if your code said:

	with(someBarObject) { self in
	  ...
	  foo()
	  ...
	  bar()
	  ...
	  bar()
	  ...
	  foo()
	}

Then the foo() and bar() calls would definitely be either on someBarObject, or to global functions, whereas if you said:

	with(someBarObject) { value in
	  ...
	  foo()
	  ...
	  bar()
	  ...
	  bar()
	  ...
	  foo()
	}

Then they would definitely be on either the closed-over `self`, or to global functions.

(In no case, however, should it be possible that a call could refer to any of the three.)

-- 
Brent Royal-Gordon
Architechies